Apparatus for heat-treating articles



March 12, 1946. H. E. SOMES APPARATUS FOR HEAT TREATING ARTICLES Original Filed Oct. 18, 1941 '7 Sheets-Sheet l i l l 1 I 1 I INVENTOR ffowardfi'l 5027265 X4462 ATTORNEY March 12, 1946.

H. E. SOM ES Original Filed Oct. 18, 1941 0 III 5!! APPARATUS FOR HEAT TREATING ARTICLES 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNE Y March 12, 1946. s s 2,396,613

APPARATUS FOR HEAT TREATING ARTICLES Original Filed Oct. 18, 1941 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTQR fiowardflifiomes A TTORNE Y 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 R an m@ k m N 5 II x I. E e V m w in m 0 I H 5 m mm T $111k, W ni [lhll E I! M I w 7 l 0 March 12, 1946. H; E. soMEs APPARATUS FOR HEAT TREATING ARTICLES Original Filed Oct. 18, 1941 March 12, 1946. H. E. soMEs 5 5 APPARATUS FOR HEAT TREATING ARTICLES Original Filed Oct. 18, 1941 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR HOwar'E flames A TTORNE Y March 12, 1946. H. E. SOMES 2,396,613

APPARATUS FOR HEAT TREATING ARTICLES Original Filed Oct. 18, 1941 '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR HOZZ/OIZZEI 5021265 A TTORNE Y March 12, 1946. HIE. SOMES APPARATUS FOR' HEAT TREATING ARTICLES Original Filed Oct. 18, 1941 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 6O SLOW TRAVEL 62 H597 ON INVENTOR Howard E, $027285 3% ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 12, 1946 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I APPARATUS FOR HEAT-TREATING I ARTICLES Howard E. Somes, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Budd Induction Heating, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Michigan Original application October 18, 1941, Serial No. 415,580. Divided and this application August 6, 1942, Serial No. 453,781

2 Claims. (01. 219-13) This application is a. division of my application for Heat. treating apparatus, filed May 10, Serial No. 415,580, filed October 18, 1941. 1941. Within the upper portion of the housing This invention relates to an apparatus for to the right of the transformer housing in Fig. 1 hardening a workpiece and has for an object to are located a plurality of relays 36 which are reprovide improvements for obtaining asimpler and sponsive to a timing and sequence controller 31 more convenient apparatus as well as a better located below them. Below the sequence conproduct. Another object is to minimize the dantroller are a number of capacitors 38 for the usual ger of the work being distorted under high grippurposes such as improving the power factor of ping stress while the portion .to be hardened is the inductive load. The two small'circles shown heated to a hardening temperature where it is to the left of the sequence controller are indicatsomewhat more plastic under lower stress than ing lights for the operator. The three knobs or when cold. Yet a further object is to provide .buttons shown to the left of the capacitors in heavy gripping pressure for holding the work Fig. 1 are for manually starting and stopping while being operated on. Yet a further object is the repeating cycles of operation, the lower one the provision of a motor actuated non-rotatable being for starting the automatic time controlled mechanism which is adapted to open and close cycle of operations while the top one is for stopthe gripping portions of a chuck-like rotatable ping. The intermediate knob is a manual conworkholder. trol whereby the heat may be manually turned oiT Referring to the drawings: the inducing head. The entire apparatus shown Fig. 1 is a side view of the apparatus, apar in Fig. 1 is illustrated as being mounted on a cast from the control valves and the like which are iron bed or frame 39. On top of the enclosure 3| not shown. is an electric motor 4| for rotating the work- Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig, 1. holder and work during the heating and quench- Fig. 3 is a left-side view of the device of Fig. 1 ing operations to assist in obtaining uniformity in with the work removed. heating and hardening. An oil pump 42 located Fig. 4 is a section on the line'4-4 of Fig. 2. on the side of the enclosure 3| is driven by a suitis- 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2. able motor 43. InFig. 3 a door 44 provides access Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4. to the fuses located at one side of the sequence or Fig. 7 is a section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 4. timing controller 31.

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 4, located on the supporting Fig. 9 i a view corresponding to Fig. 8, but side of the inducing head 33 is a quenching nozzle showing the collet or work gripping means ex- 45. The work 30 is moved into the holder until it panded. engages the stop or button wall 46 on a member of 0 is a view corresponding to Fig. 8, but the shape illustrated to constitute a guide 41 for showing the addition of pads for engagement with the outer surface of the work, the end of the guide work of a smaller diam t r; away from the stop being beveled as illustrated to Fig. 11 i a diagrammatic i of t assist in centering the work. A radially laminated drauno circuit fo translating t workholder ring 48 carried by the members 46 and 41 serves and for clamping and unclamping it. as the usual end extension for directing magnetic A workpiece such as long section f pipe 30 flux from the work into the inducing. head when of the type used in oil wells and lines is adapted adjacent thereto' t b gripp d by a workhomer within the The work clamping portions 49 and 50 of the closure 3| so t t inner urfac of an end chuck or collet sleeve aremounted on the ends portion of th work may be heated by t of resilient fingers 5i and are provided with cam magnetic induction and hardened by prompt surfaces 52 and 53 which cooperate with correquenching wit water or th appropriate 1- sponding inclined or cam surfaces at the ends ing fluid. The workholder in the embodiment 11- f he i e cam actuating rin 54. cam

lustrated is slidable on the spacedguides 32 for es of this ring a e o d on hardened and cooperati n with an inducing hea 33 whi h i extensions 54a which are bolted to the ring 54. shown as fixed on the supporting arbor 34, the A key 54b causes the cam end 54a and its surhead being supplied with high-frequency alterrounding power-driven ring to rotate together nating current from the transformer within the upon rollers or other type anti-friction bearings casing 35. This transformer is similar in con- 55 and 56. The gear 51 on the shaft of the motor struction and operation to that shown and de- 4| engages the idler gear 58 Joumalled on the scribed in my prior application Serial No, 392,867, 55 shaft 58c which drives the large gear 59 for rotating the power-driven-ring 5912. For longitudinally or axially shifting the cam ring 54, a plurality of rods 60 engage the cam ring to push or pull it by force from the fluid pressure motors comprised of at least two or more angularly spaced cylinders 6I in whichare pistons 62 whose piston rods 63 are connected to the non-rotatable thrust ring 64 and this ring being connected as shown to transmit thrusts through the antifriction bearings illustrated to the rotatable thrust ring 65 to which the rods 60 are connected. Fluid pressure pipes 66 and 6'1] are connected to the several cylinders 6B. The valves controlling these fluid pressure pipes and cylinders are responsive to the timing and sequence controller. Additional keys 68 are engaged in notches in the collet. ends for keying the work grippers to the power-driven ring 5911 through the end connections shown at the left in Fig. 4. A lubricating oil pipe 69 supplies the roller bearing and collet lubrication. Since the quenching nozzle 45 is located on the right of the inducing conductors 33 the work is caused to travel toward the right, i

the right end portion of the work being heated first. This relative translation between the in- 4 ducing head and work takes place by movement of the entire workholder upon the guides 32 while the inducing head remains stationary. In addition to this translation of the work for heating, the work and its holder are rotated to obtain greater uniformity in heating and hardening. After being heated the water or other quenching fluid is forced out of the quenching nozzle 45 so as to be directed away from the inducing head and under pressure sufficient to push the quenching liquid out from the space between the supporting arbor and the work into the protecting hood I from which it falls into the sump III. From the sump the quenching liquid may be filtered, cooled and used again. For work of diiferent diameters than that illustrated, the inducing head as well as the quenching nozzle are removable in order that a head and nozzle of the right size may be substituted. The casing portion 12 surrounds the thrust bearing between the hood I0 and another casing portion I3 encloses the driving gears. I

From Fig. it may be seen that the pistons I4 on the guides 32 are fixed to cause sliding movement of the cylinders I5 which are only of slightly larger diameter than the guides 32. For movement of the cylinders I5 and the enclosure 3I to the left, pressure fluid enters the cylinder through the port 16 and for movement of the cylinder to the right ,the pressure fluid enters through the port II shown in dotted lines. At each end of the cylinder are shown elongated heads I8 and I9 which constitute bearing portions for supporting the workholder and also contain packing B3 to preventleakage of the pressure fluid from within the cylinder I5. The guides are fixed within end supports 80 and III, a ring 02 serves to key the guides to their end supports to prevent longitudinal movement of the guides. These end supports are preferably constructed in two parts as shown in Fig. 3. The amount of pressure fluid for sliding the workholder on the guides is accurately controlled from the timing sequence mechanism 3! through valves not shown and a source of fluid pressure also not shown. The fluid pressure for the cylinder I5 is suppliedthrough connections' 84 and B5 and passages within the guides. Bolts 86 secure the bearing heads I8 and 19 and the cylinders I5 to the frame of the enclosure 3| as shown in Fig. 5. A key 6? insures movement of the cylinder I5 with the heads regardless of the direction of movement. Plugs 68 close the ends'of the fluid pressure passages within the guides.

Fluid pressure pipes 99 connect the cylinders 6| with the fluid pressure connections 66 and 61. The cylinders 6I are shown as being provided with a hardened wear-resisting liner 90 as shown in Figs. 4 and 6.

A pipe SI for lubricant leads from the pump 42 to the pipe 69 shown in Figs. 4 and 'I, while a suction pipe 93 leads from an oil pump 92 back to the pump.

For work of maximum size the clamping portions are caused to move radially inward for gripping the work tightly by a movement of the cam ring 54 and its end extensions 54a. to the left. The work is clamped by the cam ring having been moved far enough for that purpose as shown in Fig. 8, while in Fig. 9 the cam ring Is moved to the right allowing the work clamping portions 50 to expand and substantially close the space 91 between the non-expansible end ring 96 and the work gripping portion. For large size work a bolt hole 95 is not used, but where smaller diameter work is to be hardened, pads 99 are secured to the work gripping portions by bolts 98 as shown in Fig. 10. The radial depth of the pads or blocks 99 will depend on the diameter of the. work being operated on.

An electric motor I50 (see Fig. 11) drives an oil pump I5I for supplying oil through the fourway open-center valve I52 and the pipe line I53, through the shut-off valve I54. A piston valve I55 is normally held open by the spring I56 allowing free passage of the oil through it, a roller I51 bearing against the cylinder 15. With the shut-01f valve I54 open as illustrated, oil then flows through the pipe I58 and the counter-balance valve I59 and pipes 84 through the cylinder ports 1.6 to the cylinders I5 for moving the cylinders 15 on the guides 32. While the oil is flowing into the cylinders through the pipes 84, such liquid is being ejected from the cylinders on the opposite sides of the pistons I4, through the pipes 85, through the counter-balance valve I60,

pipe I6I, shut-off valve I62, pipes I63 and I64,

84. During the time that oil is flowing into one end of the cylinders I5 it is flowing out of the other end. Both shut-off valves I54 and I62 are 0 simultaneously actuated by the cam blocks I6! and I68.

When the work and its clamping means reaches the end of its" travel, the timing and sequence controller actuates solenoid III to shift the valve I 52 for causing oil to flow from the. pump I5I through the pipes I64, I63, shut-off valve I62, counter-balance valve I60, pipes into the opposite end of the cylinders15. The flow of oil through the reduced flow valves I69 and I10 results in the movement of the workholder carriage along the guides 32, being much slower than is the movement when the cam blocks I6! and I68 are not engaged by the rollers of the shut-off valves. As the workis moved from left to right 5 in the portion of travel marked on the drawing When the shutof Fig. 18 as slow travel," the sequence controlleractuates the current controls for supplying inducing current to the head 33. When the work is heated to the desired axial length, adjustable stops cause the fluid pressure to be cut oil from the translating cylinders 15, stopping the relative movement between the work and the inducing I 7 left.

Where the work is ofthe character such that further heat treatment Tnay be desirable, but without hardening, the inducing coil may be again energized by the sequence controller. Pref erably the travel from right to left as shown in Fig. 18 is more rapid than the slow travel of the work during the hardening period. For this purpose it has been found that travel of the work at about double its speed during the hardening period will be sufilcient to enable the same frequency and current conditions in the inducing head to heat the work as much as is desired, but to below a hardening temperature. After the shut-off valve rollers ride off the cam blocks I61 and I68, travel of the work to and from the heating period is much more rapid. To return the work after the hardening operation oil is conducted through the pipes I64 from the pump II. but since the shut-off valve IE2 is closed the oil is forced through the reduced flow valve I10, counter-balance valve I60, pipe 85, into the cylinders 15. During this slow-motion heating period there is a larger flow opening in the valve I10 than in the valve I69 so that more rapid travel of the work is experienced as the oil passes through the reduced flow valve I10 and the counter-balance valve I60. This reduced flow keeps up until the shut-off valve rollers ride off the cam blocks I61 and I68 when the speed of the carriage increases. During the time that oil passes through the reduced flow valves I69 and I10, the speed of the motor and oil pump is not substantially changed, but a by-pass valve at the pump I5I prevents excessive oil pressures from being built up by reason of the reduced flow. Solenoids HI and I12 actuate the four-way opencenter valve I52 against the springs 'shown in each end of this valve casing. As shown in the drawings, the solenoid I12 has actuated the valve I52 to move it into the position illustrated.

When the solenoid I1! is energized and solenoid I12 deenergized, the valve is shifted to send oil through the counter-balance valve I and pipes into the cylinders, while oil from the opposite ends of the cylinders 15 exhausts through the pipes 84, counter-balance valve I59, and reduced flow valve I69, while the shut-off valve I54 is closed. The same amount of oil is moving into the cylinders through valves I10 and I60. Since the opening in the reduced flow valve I69 is smaller than that in the valve I10, it will be necessary forthe oil being returned to the tank I66 to flow through the valve I69 at a greater rate than could be accommodated by the reduced flow opening alone, and for this reason a check valve, not shown is embodied in and may form a part of the reduced flow valve I69 so as to allow a larger flow through the valve I69 to occur toward the tank I 66 than occurs when oil is moved away from it or upwardly in the drawings.

The pump I13 supplies oil pressure through the pipe I14 and four-way open-center valve I15, pipes 61 into the cylinders 6| for shifting the cam ring to the left as shown in Figure 11 for closing the work gripping portions upon the work. Oil

supplied through the pipe 61 is controlled by the solenoid I11, whereas oil supplied through the pipe 66 is controlled by the energization of solenoid I16. These cylinders 8| and their actuat ing solenoids are also controlled from the timing and sequence controller. When either the pump I 5I or I13 builds up more pressure than is desired, the oil is by-passed around the pump through a suitable check valve, not shown.

All operations except the insertion and removal of the work are normally automatic in response to operation of the timing and sequence controller. The one end of thework, frequently in the form of considerable length of pipe, is moved into the workholder. The chuck or collet then grips the work tightly, after which the motor for rotating the work may be started or this motor may be continuously operated. After the work is securely held, it is moved toward the heating head at a speed of about 12 inches per second until the cams on the cylinders 15 are encountered for slowing the movement ofthe work to about one inch per second throughout the length of the portion to be hardened. As the end of the work comes adjacent the inducing head, the highfrequency circuit through the inducing head is closed. During the heating operation travel of the work is from left to right in the drawings. When the quenching nozzle comes adjacent the heated portion of the work, quenching fluid is ejected under pressure, the pressure of the fluid causing the water to move away from the heating coil. When the desired length of work has been heated, the current through the inducing coil is stopped while the quench continues until the full length of work that is heated has been quenched and hardened. Immediately upon cessation of the quenching liquid, compressed air is ejected from the quenching nozzle to blow any residual liquid out of the work. After the full length of I the work to be hardened has been-so treated, relative travel between the work and inducing head ceases and translation of the work in the opposite direction begins. Substantially simultaneous'ly with initiation of the movement of the work awa from the inducing head, the inducing current is again turned on. In order that the reheat ng may be to a temperature below that needed for further hardening, the withdrawal travel of the work is preferably at a speed of about 2 inches a second, or approximately double that of the speed when heating the Work to a hardening, temperature, This rate of withdrawal contemplates the inducing current and frequency being about the same as was used for hardening, but with the greater speed the same energy input is spread over a greater area. This reheating may or may not be used. After the work has been moved from the inducing head its originalrapid travel of about 12 inches a second is resumed to the end of the stroke when the gripping portions release the work, enabling it to be withdrawn from the collet and a new workpiece inserted. The timing mechanism is usually adjusted to give the operator ample time to withdraw and replace a workpiece when the cycle of operation is automatically repeated.

While Fig. 11 shows the heads 18 and 19 of the cylinders 15 apparently integral with the cylinders, it will be understood that this figure is merely diagrammatic and that these heads are not integral but are separate as shown in Fig. 5.

Among the advantages of this invention may be mentioned the tight clamping of the work at a location axially separated from the heated portion. With ordinary size oil pipe a clamping pressure in the neighborhood of 20,000 pounds is 'used, and this pressure is so high that if it were applied in the same transverse portion of work which is heated, there might be danger of fracture or distortion. A

As described in my said application Serial No.

head is at a rate, such that the work is heated,

but yet heated below a hardening temperature, after the work has already been hardened, this additional heating being to toughen the hardened portion. Another feature of this invention is the use of compressed air or other gas supplied to the quenching fluid passage for blowing any quenching liquid out of the work. Otherwise, when the work is reheated during its withdrawal, the reheating might be non-uniform if water was encountered over parts of the work. The hood at the end of the work enclosure directs the water ejected from the end of the workdownwardly into a sump. The use of the thrust connection between the rotatable and non-rotatable parts of the mechanism for sliding the cam ring permits the three fluid pressure motors illustrated to be non-rotatably mounted at substantiall uniform angular distances from one another while the cam ring and work rotate.

Unless otherwise specified herein, the operation as well as the construction of the timing and sequence controller and other parts may be of the type described and shown in the afore; mentioned companion application Serial No. 392,867, for Heat treating apparatus, filed May 10, 1941.

Though only a single form of the invention is illustrated and described, the invention is not limited thereto but may be embodied in various forms as desired. As various changes in construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, reference will be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus having a heat treating head for internally heat treating the ends of relatively long and heavy tubes and in which the heat treating head is arranged to be disposed within the end of the tube to be heat treated in concentric closely spaced circumferential relation therewith, a. tube holding means including a centering ring coaxial with said head and cooperable with the external surface of the tube adjacent an extreme end thereof, a pair of clamping means, each having a plurality of circumferentially spaced annually arranged clamping jaws coaxially aligned with each other and with said ring, the

jaws of one of said clamping means being actuatable to circufnferentially clamp the tube at a region axially spaced from said ring and axially adjacent the end region to be heat treated withp out distortion; of the region undergoing heating, and the jaws of the other of said clamping means being actuatable to circumferentially clamp the tube at a region widely axially spaced from said first clamping means and the region to be heat treated, and means for actuating said jaws into tube clamping position, said jaws and centering ring being arranged to hold the tube straight and in accurate axial alignment with said head during the heat treating operation.

2. In an apparatus having a heat treating head for internally heat treating a relatively long and heavy tube for a predetermined length at one end thereof (and in which the head is arranged to be disposed within the tube end in concentric closely-spaced circumferential relation therewith, a tube holder including a pair of widely axial spaced clamping means, each coaxially aligned with said head and each having a plurality of circumferentially-spaced annularly-arranged clamping jaws actuatable into rigid circumferential clamping engagement with the tube, both clamping means being located beyond the portion of the tube length at the end traversed by said head, the clamping means axially nearest said head being axially spaced from said head in the heat treating position thereof, such minimum distance that the clamping pressure exerted thereby is unaffected by the heating of the tube portion of predetermined length, whereby to maintain coaxial alignment of the tube end and said head, and means spaced axially from said tube holder for fixing the position of the end of the tube traversed by said head.

HOWARD E. SOMES. 

